Let's start over
by Blood Thirsty Angle
Summary: *Twilight AU* Vladimir was stuck. Trying to pay off college tuition and helping his loved ones. A strip club was the last place he wanted to work in, but sometimes, desperate times call for desperate measures *Summary subject to change.*
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's note: **__Hello my fellow readers! I have returned yet again with another Twilight AU fic. I am so glad you all have been liking the ones I've been posting, but this one is making me a bit nervous. Not saying that I'm not liking this one, but I really want to be careful with it. Yes, as you might have guessed already, there will be strippers! I have never written something like this before, so be warned. There will be a lot of angst, so be warned! Or, as my friend used to call it, Angus. Maybe that's angsting for an Angus burger from Burger King, I don't know, but whatever._

_Alright, so let's settle a few things. I don't know how many of you actually read the author's notes, I skim over them a lot in case I miss something important, but there will be OC's, but only one will probably be major. She won't be Vladimir's love interest, so there won't be a love triangle, thank god. I usually cannot stand or write love triangles unless they make sense. The Bell/Edward/Jacob one did not make sense. Or at least, in my opinion._

_**Warnings: **__This is a stripper fic, so there will be A LOT of warnings_

_**Disclaimer: **__This sand box belongs to Smyer. I just jump the fence to play in it._

_Taken all I could take and I cannot wait; wasting too much time,_

_Being strong, holding on,_

_Can't let it bring us down,_

_My life with you means everything, so I won't give up that easily,_

_**(Vladimir's pov)**_

"_They took her away."_

"_I know."_

_He paced around the room, his feet stamping lightly, yet firmly on the carpet. His hands went running through his ash blond hair, almost pulling at the roots._

_They took her away._

_They took Cecilia away._

_He didn't stop pacing around the room, his heart pounding faster and faster by the second. He had never thought of a situation like this. This wasn't supposed to happen! She wasn't supposed to get caught up in all this!_

_Stefan stood next to him, silent as he usually was. He had no sarcastic comment or any opinion on the matter at all. He just stared at the wall, his brown eyes cold and calculating. "We need to get her back," he finally muttered._

"_Obviously!" Vladimir sneered, feeling more stress build up. "What do you plan?"_

"_Just follow me. We need help."_

_**(One year earlier, early February)**_

The sound of his phone ringing made Vladimir jump as he fished his hand through his coat pocket, numb fingers fishing around for the small, black device. The cold wind nipped against his bare, pale hands. The wind was beyond freezing; he was literally shaking as he pulled the device out. He pressed the warm phone to his ear, taking a cold breath. "What is it, Cecilia? I'm heading to a job interview."

"Is this a bad time? You sound mad."

Vladimir sighed, reminding himself not to get impatient with her. "No, I'm not mad. I'm just in a hurry. Now please tell me what you need."

"The window is stuck again, and I don't know how to shut it!"

"Just stay away from it. I'll fix it when I get back."

"Okay. Bye!"

He shut his phone quickly, the thing snapping loudly against the other end. He stuffed his hands in his pocket, burying his face in the collar. He headed down the street near the end of the city, the wind biting even harder. He looked at the advertisement paper in his hands, taking a sigh.

The place looked like a normal bar, almost. It didn't look too sleazy, for it was impossible for a bar not to look that way, but this one looked fairly clean. Either way, he didn't have any room to complain.

Vladimir sighed, taking another deep breath. He could do this, he has no choice. He had to. This was the last place he would go to, and he was going to walk in with dignity. He was Vladimir Dimitru. Nothing and no one could take away his pride. They could wound it, but it would recover.

He opened the door, gray eyes taking in the sight before him. The room was clean, almost to the point where he could smell lemon pledge contaminating the air. The stage was huge, and several other ones stood behind him and in other corners of the room, though, those ones looked only big enough for one or two people.

The cat walk stretched through the center, gleaming viciously against the bright lighting. He could almost see himself on that stage, dancing and dancing, the crowd reaching out for him, men and women alike…

"Hey! We're closed! Didn't you read the sign? Bar hours are from 3 to 7, Dancers come in at 7:30 and leave around six."

Vladimir turned around to see a man heading towards him. He was young, looking only a year younger than Vladimir and only two inches shorter than him, and Vladimir was considered short among most men. The man looked up at him, brown eyes irritated. "Didn't you hear me? We're closed."

Vladimir handed him the advertisement. "I'm here for a job. Do you know where Mr. Alexandrescu might be?"

The man shrugged, adjusting his shirt a little. "I might, and I might not. Why would you want to come to a place like this?"

"I need money to pay off my tuition."

That was partially the truth, and he hoped that this man wouldn't question him further. The man just smirked, sitting on a bar stool with the Cheshire cat grin still on his face. "That's it? You could get money to pay that off anywhere. Why a strip club?"

"Because," Vladimir gritted out, feeling a bit annoyed by this man. "I need the money, and I know how to dance."

"I would hope so; otherwise you won't last a minute here."

"Are you going to get your boss or not?"

The man tisked. "Patience is one thing a stripper needs. You should learn it," he leaned back against the bar. "And being respectful to the boss is another one."

Vladimir felt like an idiot for not realizing this sooner. The man just chuckled, extending his hand towards him. "My name is Mr. Alexandrescu. Stefan Alexandrescu, but don't call me by my first name unless I allow you to."

Vladimir nodded, taking his hand. "My name is Vladimir Dimitru."

"Alright then, Vladimir," Stefan began, letting go of Vladimir's hand and sitting on the barstool. "Let's see what you can do."

"Right now?"

"Yes, right now."

Vladimir blinked. "There's no music."

Stefan just reached behind him, pulling out a stereo set and putting his iPod in it. He shuffled through it, finding a song that was not too fast, but not too slow. He returned back to Vladimir, looking a bit impatient. "Well come on, I'm waiting."

Vladimir shrugged off his coat and jacket along with his shoes and socks, heading up onto the stage, ignoring the stare that Stefan's eyes brought. He swayed his hips slowly at first, trying to imagine he was with his friends at some club, dancing the way he would dance if he wanted to attract somebody. His hips were slow and steady with the beat, and he could feel himself getting lost in it.

His hands teased his nipples, pretending to imagine that Stefan was not there and he was doing this for someone special. This seemed to work, for he grinded his ass against an imaginary figure, acting like he was in control of the entire situation.

"You still have your clothes on. I'm starting to become unimpressed," Stefan's voice sounded out through the music. "If this keeps going, I'm leaving."

Vladimir gritted his teeth, hands running down his thighs as he undid his belt, throwing the object on the floor. He eased out of his pants slowly, letting the material hang in a graceful pile at his feet. Stefan looked a bit more interested at this point. He leaned back even farther as if to get a better view of what was going on.

Vladimir stepped out from his pants, slowly lifting his t-shirt off slowly, letting Stefan see his long, pale chest. His nipples were painfully hard at this point, and he was fully aware that he felt an erection coming on.

He let his hands go over his nipples again before dipping down to a low squatting thrust that seemed to catch Stefan's attention. He didn't look all too impressed, but he didn't look uninterested either. He hadn't noticed Vladimir's erection yet, which the blond thanked, and he knew he had to get rid of it fast.

_Dead kittens, _Vladimir thought to himself as he did another low thrust. _Dead kittens lying flat on the road because some ass wipe ran over them._

This wasn't working, so he thought of the best turn off he could think of. _Cecilia. Cecilia lying dead on the road._

This worked, and his erection died away. The song was still going, and Stefan looked as if he were getting bored. He gave an imaginary sigh before shucking off his boxers, dancing completely naked in front of a stranger.

The song ended; Vladimir covered in sweat from the dancing and Stefan removed his Ipod. He stared at Vladimir for a second before turning over to the stairs. "Get dressed and come to my office."

* * *

"So do I have the job or not?" Vladimir asked, knowing he sounded a bit impatient. Stefan leaned back in his office chair, whirling around in it twice before turning his brown eyes back to Vladimir.

"What are you studying for in school? If I'm going to hire you, I should at least know," Stefan began, ignoring Vladimir's previous question. "I like to know things."

"Business," Vladimir answered back. "I want to start my own."

"So do a lot of people."

Vladimir resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I know. My mother is also sick and I need to pay her medical expenses."

"Can't your father do that?"

"My father is dead," Vladimir replied flatly. "He's been dead for eleven years."

Stefan looked a bit flustered for a second before returning to his usual expression. "I'm very sorry," he said, sounding as if he truly meant it. "Both my parents are dead as well."

The room went quiet for a moment, as if neither man knew quite what to say. Stefan tapped his pen against the table, his bottom lip twisted with concentration. "Why should I hire you?" he asked suddenly. "What do you have that I need?"

Vladimir straightened his shoulders. "I don't have that much to offer, but I'm a quick learner. I do my work, and I make a good job of it."

"I see, well, I guess I will hire you."

"Really?"

Stefan held up a hand. "We do have rules to follow though," he looked at Vladimir's sweaty body. "I expect you to arrive here every night clean. I have bouncers at the door and VIP rooms. You can't go in the VIP rooms yet; you have to wait until you're worth more to the crowd."

"Alright."

Stefan's head cocked to the left, a smirk gracing his lips. "This is also one of the clubs where touching is allowed. Are you prepared for that?"

Vladimir nodded. "I'm prepared. I have no problem."

"Good," Stefan placed his hands on his desk. "You won't be giving anyone any private shows yet, as I mentioned before, and I expect you to do your job well. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Vladimir replied back as sarcastically as he could without being an ass. "When do I start?"

"Tonight at ten. I expect you to be on time. Now, please leave my office. I have an important meeting in a few minutes."

Vladimir had no idea as to why a strip club owner would have meetings, but quickly nodded his head toward Stefan as he walked out. He stepped out into the cold February air with a feeling of triumph. He headed towards a taxi, hopping into it as he drove to the hospital.

His mother looked grumpy as she lay on her bed, her ash colored hair fanned out on her chest, though it had begun to look a bit duller as the months went on. He kissed her cheek as he sat down in a chair next to her, taking her hand gently. "Mother," he started carefully. "I have got a new job."

She stared accusingly at him for a minute before speaking in a thin voice. "And where are you working?"

"With a business in Seattle, It'll help me pay off college tuition."

She sighed, her long, pale fingers dancing lightly against his. "I'm glad to hear. At least you won't be relying on me for help anymore," a smile lit her face for a moment. "Not that I'm not willing to help you, you've done well enough for yourself so far."

"Thank you, Mother," he said. "How have the results been so far?"

She didn't speak for a long time. She removed her hand from his, wringing them in her lap as she stared at them coldly. "I'm dying, Vladimir," she whispered. "I don't have very long left."

"What?"

She nodded, her eyes a bit bleary for a moment. "The cancer is eating away at my lungs. It's too late for a transplant, and I don't want one anyway. I have lived long enough."

"Mother don't say that," he scolded lightly. "How long do you have, to be precise?"

She looked at him with blank blue eyes. "Under four months, but that's fine with me. I'm not afraid of death, you know. What is the use? We all have to go sometime."

Vladimir sighed. "Surely you don't mean that?"

She gave a pained laugh, her body shaking a bit. "Oh, don't listen to a dying woman talking. We say such crazy things you know, but I know you and Cecilia will miss me when I'm gone. Speaking of Cecilia, how is she?"

"She's fine," he answered back carefully. "Bored, but fine."

His mother gave another smile. "That's good to hear. It'll break her heart when she finds out," she gave him a hard look. "Promise you won't tell her? It's better if she does not know my current state. I don't want to see her upset."

"I promise."

A nurse walked in at that moment, looking at him hesitantly. "I'm sorry sir," she said in a not so sorry tone. "But visiting hours are over. Please come back tomorrow or if there is an emergency."

Vladimir looked at his Mother with an apologetic look. "Sorry," he began quietly. "I should have come earlier."

"It's fine, but please do visit again. These nurses are annoying."

He enjoyed the look on the nurse's face as he walked out. He headed down the hallway of the hospital, feeling slightly a bit bad for not telling his Mother where he was actually working, but the feeling soon faded when he thought of her illness. It was better if she did not know. It would make her less miserable if she didn't know. He hated lying to her, but it was for her own good.

He tightened his coat around him as he walked out, braving the strong wind as he headed towards the road. It was only a few more hours until he started his new job, and he knew that he was going to need a lot of rest.

* * *

Please review! I will update the next chapter very soon! I give you all love and free cookies! I will return! Oh, and if you know any good stripping kind of music *Wink wink, nudge nudge* Feel free to suggest anything!


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's note: **__I have returned! Yeah, nothing special, but since Soul for Sale is reaching its Climax, I'm becoming focused on this one. I'll miss working on Soul for sale when it's done T-T But whatever. Kudos to anyone who has figured out who Cecilia is XD_

_**Warnings: **__Lap dances, Striping_

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Twilight. I do however own minor characters that are not in the books_

_Let's start over,_

_I'll try to do it right this time around,_

_It's not over,_

'_Cause a part of me is dead and in the ground_

_**(Vladimir's pov)**_

He arrived at Ten o'clock on the dot. The bar/Club was packed by the time he walked in. The smell of smoke and alcohol was heavy in the air. A few dancers were already on stage, at least three women and two guys were dancing provocatively on it with most of their clothes off. Vladimir loosened his coat up a bit, heading towards one of the bouncers.

"Where do the employees go?" he asked carefully, not trying to sound like anyone that would spy in the changing rooms.

The man looked at him, talking to the mike in his mouth. "Do I let him in boss? He says his name is Vladimir Dimitru."

He paused for a second, before opening a door next to him. "In you go," he said. "Good luck."

Vladimir stepped inside, looking around. The dressing room was rather large and very spacious. Chairs and make up chairs were scattered everywhere, as well as a long row of lockers standing in the back, looking spotless and well locked. There was no one in the room except for a woman with strawberry blond hair. She didn't seem to be paying any attention to him; just applying black eyeliner to her light aquamarine eyes.

"You can put your stuff in a locker," she said finally. "All of them have names on them except for a few. Pick one of the empty ones."

"Thanks," he muttered, heading over to them. He scanned the list of names tapped to each one of them: Tanya, Kate, Irina, Maggie, Maria, Garrett, Emmett, Alice, Zafrina, Senna, Riley, James, and Victoria, as well as other common names. He found a locker; find a pen somewhere and writing his name down. He stuffed his coat in it as well as his wallet and phone, turning around to see the woman standing in front of him.

"So, you're Vladimir, hm?" she asked absent mindedly. "You don't see a name like that every day."

Vladimir shrugged. "I didn't choose it, but I suppose no one chooses their names when they're first born."

The woman smiled, extending an arm out to him. "I'm Tanya," she said kindly. "Tanya Denali."

"I'm Vladimir, Vladimir Dimitru."

She turned around, heading back to her make up. "So tell me," she began, fixing her garter belt, not at all minding that Vladimir was in the room. "What are you doing in a place like this? You don't seem to be the type of person that would do this sort of stuff." She looked like a usual stripper, wearing little and revealing clothes, but she seemed perfectly okay with what she was doing.

He leaned against the lockers nonchalantly. "I need money."

"Don't we all?"

He smirked. "I need to pay off college tuition as well as my Mother's hospital bill."

She stopped adjusting herself and turned to him. "Your Mother is in the hospital? What on earth for?"

"Lung cancer," he admitted slowly. "She has around four more months left. After that, I need to pay for everything."

Tanya paused, staring at him sympathetically. "I'm so sorry," she murmured. "My Mother is dead, though it was a long time ago. My sisters and I are still very devastated."

Vladimir nodded. "Along with that, I need to pay for college tuition and such."

"A lot of people need to pay those things off. We've had people come in that need to do those things and when they did; they didn't waste a minute getting out."

"Well, this isn't exactly a modest job," he argued. "But this could be a lot worse. Wasn't the first place I'd go to, but…"

"You take what life gives you?" she offered with a bitter smirk. "Trust me; it's not so bad here. Stefan's a fair guy."

"You're on first name basis?"

She grinned. "If he trusts and likes you well enough, he'll let you call him by his first name. But for now, you have to call him Mr. Alexandrescu."

Vladimir shrugged, looking as if he didn't really care what he called him. "I don't care if he likes me or not. I just need the money."

Tanya nodded, handing him something. He took it, examining the object. It was a pair of black shorts that did not look like something he'd wear in public. Or something anyone would want to wear in public for that matter. Unless someone was trying to get attention.

"You get used to it," Tanya advised, slipping on a pair of high black heels. "After a while, it feels just like a pair of shorts."

"I suppose you're right."

She smiled again, looking at clock on her phone. "You should be getting back stage now. You're in a group performance since you're new here and all. You'll be with Garrett, Emmett, Riley, and James. They're okay guys, except for two of them, but you'll be fine. Just dance and catch people's attention. Okay?"

He nodded, stripping out of his clothes and putting the flimsy material on. He felt kind of exposed as he followed Tanya out of the dressing room and back stage. She led him to a group of four guys, who were all, unfortunately, taller than him.

One of the guys, a tall, muscular man with dark brown hair and blue yes, looked down at him with a grin. "You're kind of short," he joked, but his eyes held no threat in them. "You new here?"

Vladimir nodded. "Yes. My name is Vladimir."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Emmett, the guy to my right is Garrett, and the two blonds over there are James and Riley."

Vladimir glanced over at the other three. The one on Emmett's right, Garrett, gave him a small wave, his brown eyes looking almost black in the dark. The blonds, James and Riley, looked like they couldn't have cared less if Vladimir was there. James just gave him a curt nod, while Riley didn't even look in his direction.

Emmett narrowed his eyes at the other two, but didn't say anything to them. "Ignore them," he told Vladimir. "They're always like that."

Garrett nodded, but then looked on stage. "Time to go," he announced in amusement, turning to Vladimir. "Good luck."

Vladimir just closed his eyes, letting the other four go out before him. He took a deep breath, and then headed out onto the stage. He found his spot on the stage, feeling the beat of Lady Gaga's "Love game," booming from the speakers.

He gave a silent prayer to whatever god might be watching him, and let's go. He walks up the stage slowly, sexually, but confident. Eyes started shifting to his direction, and he felt a bit more nervous, but refused to let that show. He stops in front of a group of ladies in cocktail dresses, swaying his hips to the beat of the song. The women giggled, pleased by what he was doing and giving him sweet eyes as they watched.

He began to move a little more, grinding right in front of the ladies, which causes uproar of approval from them. They move a little closer to the stage, wanting to see more of what he has been doing for the past minute. He gives them his trademark smirk, grinding a bit more slowly just to see a couple twenty dollar bills appear on the stage. He let his eyes drift upward toward the balcony, only to feel his nervousness come back.

Stefan was standing up there, watching him.

Yet, for some reason, he was okay with that. He reverts his attention back to the young women in front of him. He turns his back to them, shaking his ass that does not fail to make them giggle even louder. He returned to face them, dipping into a low crouch. He rubbed his hands over his ass and to his crotch, then back up to his chest.

The ladies were practically drooling on him, and he enjoyed every second of it. It made him feel powerful to have this much control of someone. It probably wasn't the best reaction to have, but he would not deny that he liked it.

He returned to the low crouch, palming himself as the women gave appreciative murmurs. He barely noticed that at least five songs have gone by and he's sweating up a storm, the beads glistening down his body like shower droplets. He gave them another smirk as his group began to head off the stage, only to be stopped by a shout.

"Hey you! Yeah you, come over here!"

He walked down the stage steps, heading over to where the person was. He stopped in front of a young man, giving him a smirk as well. "Can I help you?" he asked.

The man smirked, spreading his legs open. "It's my birthday today," he announced smugly. "I think I deserve a little something on my special day. How about a lap dance?"

Vladimir just moved a strand of hair back and eased up onto the man's lap. He placed his hands on the guy's shoulders, grinding on his cock teasingly. "First time?" he asked the man, keeping his slow grind.

"Nope," the man answered, placing a hand on Vladimir's ass, squeezing it. He moved that hand a bit lower, squeezing him through his shorts. His eyes seemed to light up as he did so. "Someone's a slut," he sneered. "Hard already."

Vladimir frowned, trying to ignore the man and focus on the job at hand. After all, this guy was just a loser frat boy. Nothing to get worked up over.

That was, until, he began thrusting between his cheeks.

"Hey," he warned the guy, his gray eyes burning like steel into the frat boy's. "There's a limit on what you're allowed to do."

"Don't care," the man grumbled. "Be glad I'm not bending you over this table right now in front of everyone. But, I guess you would like that, wouldn't you?"

Vladimir grinded his teeth, ignoring the barb. He slid off the man, feeling precum on the underside of the shorts. He felt disgusted with himself and with the man, but more so with the man. The man handed him a five hundred dollar bill. "Thanks for that, Shorty," he sneered. "Makes my birthday worthwhile."

"You're welcome," Vladimir spat out. "Have a nice day."

He turned to leave, only to fall flat on the ground with his nose hitting the floor. He felt slightly grateful that it wasn't bleeding, but rage coursed through his veins. He got up, fist ready to punch the guy for tripping him, but a bouncer had grabbed him by the back of his neck, glaring intently at him.

"That's enough," the bouncer snarled. "I've been watching you. I want you out. Right now!"

The man scoffed, but sauntered out slowly. The bouncer turned back to him. "Be careful," he advised sternly. "People can and will get out of hand. Remember that. Oh, and Mr. Alexandrescu would like to see you."

He nodded, heading up the stairs to where Stefan's office was. He opened the door, glancing inside to see Stefan sitting at his desk, looking at his laptop screen intently. His brown eyes looked up when he noticed Vladimir standing in the room. "Good, you're here."

Vladimir nodded, wanting nothing more than to leave the room. "So, what did you want me in here for? I probably have to get back stage before too long."

Stefan shook his head. "I'll work it out if you're late," he glanced back down at his screen before looking up. "I'm sorry. I had misjudged the situation with that guy. He was breaking our rules. I apologize that I did not come to help you sooner."

Vladimir just nodded his head. "It's fine. I'm sure it has happened to other people before. This kind of stuff happens."

"You're very nonchalant about it."

"I have to be. If I want to keep this job."

Stefan gave a small grin at that and leaned back in his chair. "I'm surprised you didn't punch the guy. You don't seem to be the type of person that would willingly let his dignity be taken by some common frat boy."

"I would normally, but," he continued on. "I need this job."

"That badly?"

"Yes."

Stefan looked amused by that, for he leaned forward, his chin resting on his folded hands. "I know most of my employees would defend themselves or make a huge fuss, but you," he looked in Vladimir's eyes for a long time. "You would do anything to keep this job, hm?

Vladimir nodded. "Yes, as I said before. I need this job."

Stefan gave a chuckle. "So, if I told you to bend over on this desk and let me fuck you, you'd do it?"

Vladimir paused at that before shaking his head. "There are limits to what I'd do; I don't bend over for anyone. Only if my job severely depended on it."

Stefan just stared at him, interested by his answer. "I've never heard that one before," he admitted. "Most would tell me they would, but that's not very interesting, is it?"

"I suppose so."

The room went dead silent for several minutes. Vladimir just stared at the floor boards, memorizing the lines in the mahogany wood. Stefan was busy typing away on the keys of his laptop, looking quite annoyed for some reason. He put the screen down, turning to Vladimir.

"You can go home now," he began. "I'll work out the rest of your shift. Don't worry about how things worked out tonight; just remember to come back tomorrow."

"Thanks," Vladimir muttered, nodding to Stefan as he walked out of the room with his money. He headed into the dressing room, only to be immediately greeted by Tanya and some other woman whom he did not recognize.

"I heard what happened," she breathed out, sweat lightly glistening on her body. "I'm so sorry."

"And on your first night too," the other woman added, her dark gray eyes looking sympathetic. "This usually doesn't happen until your second or third night. The guy must have known you were new."

Vladimir shrugged, grabbing his clothes and coat out of his locker. "It happened, there's no point in trying to pretend it didn't."

Tanya gave him a small smile. "That's the spirit," she said quietly before turning to the other woman. "Oh, Vladimir, this is my younger sister, Irina."

"Nice to meet you," Irina put in. "Sorry I didn't get to see you earlier, but Tanya here is better at greeting the newbies."

Vladimir nodded. "Nice to meet you too," he looked at them. "Are you both related?"

Tanya and Irina shared a smile. "Yup," Tanya answered. "There are three of us. I'm the oldest, and Irina is the youngest. Kate is our other sister, but she's not here at the moment. She's on stage."

Vladimir just gave a short nod, heading changing as they talked to him. He put on his heavy black coat, adjusting the collar so the wind would not get in his face. "I'll see you both tomorrow," he said, heading out the door. "Have a nice evening."

"You too!" they both called out, giving him a small wave. He headed out of the bar, into the cold February air. The walk home only took thirty minutes, so he walked quickly against the wind. He hated the cold, but knew that complaining about it wouldn't make anything better.

He hoped Cecilia was asleep by the time he got there. It was twelve thirty in the morning. Any normal person would be asleep at that time. He fished the key to his apartment complex out, sticking the key in the key hole and opened the door.

The lights were still on inside, which annoyed him because he had turned them off before he left for the club. The apartment was eerily quiet, which was how it should be. He sighed, hanging his coat up and kicking his shoes off in the corner.

He was about to sit down, when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, making him stumble backwards a bit. A pair of gray eyes looked up at him, shinning and bright. "Daddy, you're home!"

He patted her head gently. "Yes, Cecilia, I'm home."

* * *

Dunh dunh dunh! Plot twist! Well, review please! Song was It's not over by Daughtry


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's note: **__Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them! ^^ Yeah, I bet none of you expected that Vladimir had a child. I was a bit iffy on doing that, since the Romanian's would probably never adopt or have child. But I think they have strong family ties, since their coven was destroyed, so I think it kind of works in this one. _

_**Warnings: **Meh, more stripping _

_**Disclaimer: **__I own nothing. Zip. Zilch._

_Lessons learned, bridges burned to the ground,_

_And it's too late to put out the fire,_

_Tables turned, and I'm the one who's burning now,_

_Well I'm doing alright_

_**(Vladimir's pov)**_

"Daddy! You're home!"

He patted her gently, not being one to hug very much. She let go of him, rocking on the back of her heels, looking up at him with bright, but sleepy eyes. He glanced at the digital clock on the wall, raising a pale eyebrow. "What are you still doing up? It's way past your bed time."

She looked at him sheepishly. "I wasn't tired," she lied. "And I haven't seen you all day."

Damn, she had a point. He sighed, feeling very tired from all the dancing he had done earlier and led her to her room. She crawled into her bed, giving a big yawn. She settled down on her bed, her eyes not leaving his. He tucked the sheet over her, seeing sleep begin to overcome her. "Good night, Cecilia," he said before turning out the light.

"Good night, Daddy," she murmured in the distance. He stayed by the door outside for a few minutes, listening as he breathing became more even. He headed into their living room, glaring at the frozen, and now broken, window. How it became broken was a mystery to him. He'd have to ask Cecilia later on that day.

He headed into the kitchen, pulling a slice of leftover pizza out from the fridge. He munched on it mournfully, thoughts drifting all over the place. The information about his Mother bothered him the most. Four months. Just four more months of being around her left. It was difficult to comprehend. He couldn't imagine life without her. After all she had done for him these past five years…

He walked into his room, not even bothering to remove his clothes as he flopped onto his bed. He was out in minutes.

**(Later that day)**

"So, Cecilia," Vladimir began later that day, looking at the broken window with a frown. "How did the window become stuck, hm? I'm sure it didn't get that way by itself."

Cecilia looked at the window in animosity. "I was opening it to get some fresh air," she began, crossing her arms. "And then it got stuck as I tried to bring it down."

Vladimir sighed, thanking whoever was up there that she was not hurt in the process. "You shouldn't have opened the window," he scolded lightly. "You could have been hurt."

"Sorry."

He shook his head at her, though a smile played at his lips. He wasn't really mad at her, he never was. Even if he tried to be, it wouldn't work. He studied her a bit as she flopped on the couch, her dark brown hair bouncing as she did. Her legs didn't quite reach the floor yet, but she seemed to be trying to. She stretched, trying to put her toes on the ground. Her gray eyes were lit in concentration, even though she was failing.

He walked past her and into the kitchen, sorting through the mail that he had received earlier. Bills, bills, bills, and more bills seemed to be piling up everywhere. Most of them were medical bills, thanks to the cancer that was eating away at his Mother's lungs. Cecilia bounced into the kitchen, pulling up a chair beside him.

"Daddy," she began abruptly, breaking the silence. "When can I see Bunica?"

He glanced at her briefly before looking back at the bill in his hand. "Soon," he answered, though he knew it wasn't very clear. "I'm a little busy right now."

"Looking at a piece of paper?"

He gave her a look and she immediately went back to playing with her stuffed rabbit. He couldn't remember what she had named it, but she carried it everywhere. And he meant everywhere. To the grocery store, to the post office, to the bank, to the hospital, everywhere.

"Why don't you and your bunny go play somewhere?"

She gave him an incredulous look. "His name is Stefan," she reminded him. "I told you that, didn't I?"

Oh, the irony.

He shrugged. "Sorry, you change his name so often I have trouble remembering."

"That's bad, Daddy. If you can't remember anything, you'll end up becoming stupid."

He highly doubted that, but since she was only five, he played along. "Well, we can't have that, now can we?" he teased. "You'll have to help Daddy remember things, won't you?"

She nodded, folding the bunny's ears until they were flat on his head. "Daddy?" she began again. "Do you remember Mommy?"

He was glad she didn't notice him tense up, his eyes hardening as he read another bill. He set down the bill, looking at her. "Yes, I remember her."

"Where is she?"

"She's far away."

"Can I see her?"

"No."

She seemed a bit disappointed by that, but it appeared to clear up any more questions at that moment. She hopped down from her chair, running away to do who knows what. Vladimir sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. The bills seemed to be piling on quickly, one after the other. He noticed his monthly rent was coming up, along with more hospital bills. He gave another sigh, looking at the five hundred dollar bill on the table. At least the five hundred would pay off a lot of the rent and some of the hospital fee.

He glanced up at the clock, seeing it chime twelve. He stood up, heading to where Cecilia was in her room. She was sitting on the floor with her rabbit and other stuffed animals. They were arranged in a circle, with teacups in front of them and a teapot in the middle. She seemed very content with where she was, a smile on her face as she talked to each of her toys.

"Stefan," she said in a childish tone. "You mustn't be so rude to Lady Windsor. Where are your manners?"

"Cecilia," he interrupted, causing her to jump and look at him with surprised eyes. "I'm going for a walk; grab your coat and shoes."

"Okay!"

She abandoned her toys, grabbing Stefan on the way out. He watched as she put her shoes on and helped her when she had to put her coat on, fastening the little black buttons through the holes as she stared at him admirably.

They were out a few minutes later, braving the cold February air. She clutched his pale hand, her eyes closed shut as the wind blew harshly against her face. They arrived at the closest park, walking closely next to each other as they did.

"Daddy," Cecilia piped up again. "When will the birds come back?"

"Sometime next month, hopefully," he assured her. "I hate being cold."

She nodded at that, clutching Stefan closer to her. "I wish it were spring. So then the ducks would come back and then I can feed them."

"They'll bite you."

She shook her head. "No they won't, I'll befriend them. Friends don't hurt their friends, right?"

She looked up at him expectantly, waiting for his reply. Vladimir patted her dark hair, ruffling the curls as he did so. "No, Cecilia," he replied. "Friends do not hurt one another."

"Good."

He sighed, feeling her let go of his hand and running to where a patch of ice was lying. He felt somewhat jealous of her childish thoughts. Of course he had lied to her; friends would stab each other in the back all the time. It was just something he had accepted over time, but he would not tell her that now. She had her own experiences to make.

The wind gave another strong blow as he continued walking towards his daughter. He stopped when he was almost close to her, the hair on his neck prickling. He turned around sharply, sensing eyes on his back, but there were none there. He shrugged off the feeling, taking Cecilia by the hand again and leading her through the park.

He let her help him make dinner again that night, allowing her to stir the noodles for the spaghetti they were making. She chirped alongside him happily, talking about random things like how there was a concert playing at her preschool in May and how she hoped that Grandma would be able to make it. The thought of his Mother soured his mood a bit, but he did not let it show. He didn't want to see her upset.

At nine fifteen, he tucked her into bed, brushing bits of hair out of her face as he did. She blinked up at him, her eyes not tired, but curious. "Where are you going, Daddy?"

"I'm going to work," he answered back. "I'll be back later on tomorrow morning."

"When?"

"Around four, but you'll be asleep like a good girl, won't you?"

She looked doubtful, but nodded her head anyway as he read to her. He could only stay for a few minutes, but it was enough. She was fast asleep by the time he turned out the lights. He hurried to work, arriving back into the changing room to put on his outfit.

"Good that you came back," Irina greeted, smiling at him. "The crowd really likes you. And I'm serious, they _really_ like you."

He didn't notice the redhead at first until she spoke up. "Hmph. I haven't seen him yet. But if the crowd likes him that much, that means competition."

Irina rolled her eyes before turning back to Vladimir. "This is Victoria. Don't mind her, she's always grumpy. You just have to get used to it."

"I see," was all Vladimir said, glancing at Victoria again. "Well, it seems I'm finding more people every day."

Victoria narrowed her green eyes at him before strutting out of the room, her hips swaying as she walked. Irina turned her nose at her, shaking her head. "She's always been a bitch. It's best just to ignore her and keep a distance from her."

Vladimir raised an eyebrow at that. "You don't say," he muttered, putting the flimsy shorts back on. "I don't think I'd like to see her again."

"Don't worry; you're not the only one."

The door burst open again, revealing a woman with the same colored eyes as Tanya, but with long, pale blond hair. "Irina, you'll be on in a few minutes," her eyes turned to Vladimir. "Who are you?"

Vladimir nodded to her. "I'm Vladimir. I just started yesterday."

The woman relaxed a bit, flipping some of her hair back. "My name is Katrina, but you may call me Kate. If I ever catch you calling me Katrina, I will personally tear your balls off," she grinned at his face, placing her hands up. "I'm kidding, I wouldn't really do that. Unless you ask for it."

He couldn't help but grin at that. "I wouldn't dream of pissing you off."

She laughed, leaning back against the wall. "Are you flirting, Vladimir?" she teased. "That's very naughty of you, wouldn't you say?"

He shrugged. "That wasn't my intention, but I agree. Very naughty indeed."

Kate wagged a finger at him, shaking her head as she moved back to the makeup area, applying blue eyeliner around her eyes. "So," she began. "What do you think of working here?"

"It's different," he said, applying a bit of make up on himself. "Not the first place I would have chosen to work, but beggars can't be choosers."

"You got that right," she agreed. "But some of us actually like working here. Not me, but I know a few people."

He noticed something bitter in her eyes as she spoke. The other night, Tanya had the same look. Almost as if, they didn't really want to work here. She seemed to notice him staring and grinned. "Sorry," she apologized. "Didn't mean to go all mysterious on you."

"It's alright."

She sighed, moving some hair back. "I was studying to be a lawyer, but as you can see, that didn't happen."

"Why not?"

She gave him a somewhat saddened smile. "A strip club is mostly where desperate people go to make money. Not the first place they'd go to, you know? And then society has to judge you for it, making all of us strippers look like whores, which, we're not. Not all of us are prostitutes."

"There are prostitutes here?" Vladimir asked, though not really surprised.

Kate shook her head. "No, Stefan doesn't allow that kind of stuff here. Now if you want to fuck with a client you can, but you have and the person have to be willing. That's why we have bouncers," she glanced at the clock. "Stefan is pretty nice guy on the inside. He's hard to get along with, but he's nice."

Vladimir moved a strand of hair back. "So, you wanted to be a lawyer."

"That's right. But as I said before, life got in the way," she applied more lipstick to her pink lips. "So what's your reason? Debt? School? Hope you don't have a kid at home."

Vladimir narrowed his eyes. "My mother is dying and I need to pay off college and hospital debt," his eyes narrowed further. "And what do you mean by 'Hope you don't have a kid at home?"

Kate shrugged. "It's nothing really. Stefan just doesn't usually allow people who have a kid at home to work here. I guess he doesn't want to deal with family issues."

Kate didn't seem to be able to read his expression. He wondered why Stefan didn't mention this earlier when he hired him. Did he think he already knew that he didn't usually allow people with kids? Not that he planned on telling Stefan any time soon.

He shook his head. "I don't have a kid; it's just me and my mother."

She nodded. "Good. I like you and I don't want to see you fired," she looked at the clock again. "You should get going; your dance shift will start in a few minutes."

He gave her a wave as he left, heading towards the back where the guys were. He stood quietly to himself, trying to process everything in. It wasn't until Emmett nudged him forward onto the stage that he put on the mask and sauntered on.

He strutted slowly towards his spot where a group of young college boys were standing, looking at him with lusty eyes. He brushed his hands over his crotch, letting his hips sway a little as he danced. The boys seemed to love it, for they tossed money onto the stage.

Vladimir grinned, palming his chest slowly as he dipped into a low crouch, giving a thrust as they tried to come closer. The bouncer had to push them back a little, which didn't bother Vladimir at all, he just kept dancing, rubbing his hands over his ass and then back to his crotch as more people came over to him, watching him with interested eyes.

It wasn't until his shift was over when Riley came over to him, looking annoyed with the fact that he had to talk to Vladimir. "Boss wants to speak with you," he announced, a slightly jealous look in his eyes. "Better hurry up."

Vladimir let out an annoyed sigh. "What does he want?"

"Do I look like his pet to you?" Riley sneered, walking away. "Get up there and find out for yourself."

Vladimir rolled his eyes at the young man's behavior, but headed up the stairs to where Stefan was. He opened the door slowly, peering inside for the man. Stefan was nowhere to be seen, so he walked in anyway. As he walked in, the cell phone on Stefan's desk ringing in some classical tune. He frowned, heading over to the phone. He hadn't pegged Stefan for the classical type.

"What are you doing?"

He jumped slightly, hearing Stefan's voice at the back of his neck. He turned around smoothly, facing him with cool eyes. Stefan stood not far behind him, his eyes narrowed in annoyance. "I could have fired you for doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Touching things on my desk," Stefan implied, his eyes trapping Vladimir as he spoke. "Do that again, and I really will fire you."

Vladimir clenched his jaw, feeling his knuckles tighten. "I'm sorry," he began, feeling the words form like venom in his mouth. "I won't do it again."

Stefan nodded, walking past Vladimir without a glance. Vladimir turned on him, stepping back from his desk by a few steps. "So, what did you want me here for?"

Stefan glanced at him. "Oh, yes," he started, looking through random objects scattered orderly on his desk. "I need you to double one of the shifts tomorrow night. You can do that, right?"

Vladimir paused. Tonight was Saturday, and tomorrow would be Sunday, and he had to take Cecilia to preschool in the morning. Damn, he was going to be tired, plus, he had class later on that day. Fuck his life.

"Yes, I can do it," he told the other man, feeling his insides groan at the fact that he would be losing sleep. "There is no problem."

Stefan raised an eyebrow. "I didn't ask if there was a problem."

"Well I'm telling you anyway."

Stefan grinned at that, though it wasn't friendly. He leaned back in his desk chair, giving a long sigh. "I've been watching you for the past two nights. You're good. The crowd likes you."

Vladimir felt pleased with himself. "Thank you," he muttered. "So what does that mean?"

Stefan shrugged. "For now, it means nothing. Later on though, I might have you take doubles."

"Doubles?"

"You strip with someone. We only have one person right now doing solos, but I don't think she's here this month. She's on vacation."

"She?"

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Well you didn't think that this was an all-male strip club, did you?"

Vladimir resisted the urge to flip him off. "No," he admitted. "I didn't think it was. I'm just surprised that there is only one person."

"Yes, well, some of the others are good, but not that eye appealing. You get what I'm saying?"

Vladimir had no idea as to what he was saying, but he shrugged it off. "Did you need me for anything else?"

Stefan shook his head. "No, you can go now."

Vladimir turned to leave, his hand barely touching the door knob when Stefan's voice called out again. "Oh, and Vladimir,"

Vladimir turned. "Yes?"

"If I catch you touching my stuff again, I will personally bend you over the desk and fuck you into it. Do we have an understanding?"

Vladimir nodded, and quickly left. He didn't waste a minute leaving the club.

* * *

Review please! Song was Crawling back to you by Daughtry. Oh, and Bunica is the Romanian word for Grandmother. At least, the translator told me. I hate translators.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's note:**__ I am enjoying this fic. I might be posting another fic soon, only with Vlad and Stef as kids throughout their teenage years. Well, I might be, I don't know if I should yet. I have a lot of things I'm working on right now, but I may put it up after Soul for Sale is finished. _

_**Warnings: **__More stripping, a drunken Riley_

_**Disclaimer:**__ Twilight. What is this…Twilight you speak of? I don't own Twilight._

_See the devil on the doorstep now, my oh my,_

_Telling everybody oh just how to live their lives,_

_Sliding down the information highway, buying in just like a bunch of fools,_

_Time is ticking and we can't go back, my oh my_

_**(Vladimir's pov)**_

With the coming of March, the cold of February left with a tremendous force. They had a huge snowstorm before the first day of March, which made it almost impossible for Vladimir to get to work. Cecilia enjoyed it though; she insisted they make a snowman in front of the apartment complex, which Vladimir knew the landlord would not appreciate.

Instead, he took Cecilia to the hospital. She seemed delighted to hear that, for she immediately grabbed her coat and shoes, trying to put them on in a hurry. This amused him, but he could see the anxious look on her face. She loved his Mother just as much as he did. Not that he blamed her; his Mother was the only maternal figure she'd ever known.

"Bunica!" she called out, rushing into her Grandmother's room. His Mother's eyes lit up when she saw her, taking her in with open arms. Cecilia stared up at her. "Bunica, I've missed you. You haven't come to visit us in a long time."

"Cecilia, give her some space. You might hurt her."

Cecilia let go of her slowly, crawling off her lap with a guilty look. His Mother gave him a look, shaking her head. "Nonsense, she's not hurting me. My lungs are hurting, not my stomach."

"Still," Vladimir argued. "I don't want to be sent from the hospital because of that."

His Mother shook her head again, beckoning Cecilia closer to her. "How have you been, dearie?" she asked gently. "You've been taking care of your Daddy, haven't you?"

Cecilia nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! But Daddy forgot Stefan's name. Apparently he doesn't like Stefan," she held up her bunny to her. "Do you like Stefan, Bunica?"

His Mother patted her head. "Of course I like Stefan. He's a very brave bunny."

Vladimir almost wanted to throw up at the irony. He hoped that Cecilia would change his name soon, but she seemed to have no intention of doing so. His Mother stroked her hair, looking at her only granddaughter fondly. "You've been a good girl, haven't you?"

Cecilia nodded, sitting halfway on the hospital bed. "Daddy lets me help him make dinner. I'm a very good helper," she nodded, assuring herself. "I think I should handle the cooking from now on."

The image of the apartment on fire crossed his mind briefly. He shook his head, a smile tugging at His lips. "I don't think we're ready for that yet. Maybe in a couple years."

"How many years is a couple? Two years? Three years?"

His Mother laughed. "You're a smart girl, Cecilia. Your grandfather was a smart man."

The room went quiet for a minute. Cecilia played with Stefan, looking at the rabbit fondly. His Mother stared at the wall in front of her, thinking of something that he didn't dare ask about. "Mother," he began abruptly. "How have the results been today?"

His Mother looked back at Cecilia. "Dearie, would you mind getting me a glass of water?" she handed her a paper cut. "You'd be a big help to me."

Cecilia nodded, taking the paper cup in her small hands and heading out of the room. His Mother immediately dropped her smile, turning to her son with serious eyes. "My breathing is becoming more difficult," she began slowly, coughing a little. "It won't be long until I'm hooked to a machine."

"Will it be soon?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, ask the cancer. You should bring Cecilia over more often," she smiled at the thought. "I don't know how much longer I'll have till I can't speak."

"I'll bring her over more. She'd like that, I know she would."

He would have said more, but Cecilia came back with the water, holding it carefully so she wouldn't spill it. "Here you go," she said, handing it to her grandmother. "Is this enough?"

"It's more than enough," His Mother replied back brightly. "Thank you."

Cecilia beamed, stepping back to where Vladimir was standing. He sat down in a chair next to the bed, Cecilia standing close behind him. They chatted for a long time, discussing how his classes were going and how things at home were. Cecilia had been pretty quiet the whole time, playing with Stefan in the small section of the room.

Only when it was time to go did she kiss her grandmother's cheek softly. "Goodbye Bunica," she bid quietly. "I'll see you soon!"

"I hope so," His Mother teased. "I look forward to seeing you two again."

Vladimir took her by the hand, giving his Mother a farewell look. They walked home slowly, the day slightly warmer than it had been a few weeks ago. Cecilia hummed a random tune as they walked, skipping slightly as they walked forward.

"Is Bunica really okay?"

He was surprised by her question, the question pulling him from his thoughts. "She's fine, Cecilia. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged, clutching Stefan tightly to her chest. "She coughs a lot more, and she wheezes. She didn't do that as much as the last time."

He wondered when she had become so observant. Damnit, she was becoming more and more like him every day. Though he hoped she would not end up in a strip club one day. He continued to pull her along, looking straight ahead as he spoke. "She's feeling ill, Cecilia. She's still feeling bad, but I'm sure she'll be fine eventually."

"Why not soon?"

"Because it takes time to heal."

She didn't seem to understand that, but she did not question him any further. She went immediately to her room after they got home, remaining quiet until he told her it was time for dinner. They ate silently, the mood kind of down since they left the hospital. She helped him with the dishes, still humming the tune that she had hummed earlier.

He tucked her into bed, reading to her a bit before leaving the room. She didn't call out to him like she usually did, which was a bit strange, but he assumed it was because she was tired. He walked quickly to work, greeting Tanya and Kate as he walked in.

"You look stressed," Kate mused, looking at him in amusement. "School work?"

"Kate," Tanya warned gently before turning back to him. "Is everything okay? Or is your Mother doing worse."

He nodded, putting his coat in his locker and grabbing his costume. "She'll be dying soon," he answered stoically. "It's just hard sometimes, seeing her just sitting on a hospital bed, dying."

Tanya nodded, smiling sympathetically. "I had to watch my Mother die to. It's not easy, is it?"

"Will you three save your sob stories later?" a voice grumbled from the other end of the room. "It's starting to give me a headache."

James sat in the corner, a cigarette in his fingers as he let out a ring of smoke. Kate glared at him, her eyes cutting into him like daggers. "Why don't you shut the fuck up?" she snarled. "We weren't speaking to you."

"Bitch, I don't have to do what you say."

Kate strode over to him, cracking her knuckles as she did so. "What the fuck is your problem, you little shit? Haven't you fucked Victoria at all today, or is that why you're upset? Did she dump you for someone more attractive and richer?"

James spat in her face, the saliva running slowly down her cheek. He smirked. "Haven't you fucked Garret today? I wonder what Mr. Alexandrescu would say when he finds out."

Kate's face went dark with anger. "I believe that's none of your fucking business, so sod off."

"And it's none of your business if I fuck Victoria or not."

"Enough," Tanya intervened, pushing Kate away from James. "Or I'll call one of the bouncers in and I don't think you two would like to explain why you were fighting to Stefan, do you?"

Both Kate and James backed off, muttering things under their breaths. Vladimir glanced at Tanya, who was shaking her head in disapproval. He slid next to her, eyebrow raised in question. "What was that all about?"

Tanya sighed, watching as James left with a man with black hair and olive toned skin. "James is an ass," she gave a snort. "And no one likes him besides Victoria and Laurent."

"Who?"

"The guy he just left with. He, Victoria, and James are the most rude to people, but Laurent isn't so bad. He's pretty nice most of the time, but I still am wary with him."

"Plus, he and Irina are having a fling,"

"Oh please," Tanya scoffed towards Kate. "He's flirting with her, and Irina flirts back, but I don't think it's that serious."

"You never know," Kate warned. "They could be fucking in the alleyways."

Vladimir shook his head. "Please do not put that image in my head," he felt a tiny bit exposed, standing there in his costume. "Does Alexandrescu have a policy against coworkers dating coworkers?"

Tanya shook her head. "Not really, but he doesn't like it. He advises against it, yet it still happens. However, the relationship better not get involved with your work. Otherwise, he'll fire you."

"You've seen it happen?"

The two of them shrugged. "It's happened before, and it never ends well. Usually, it ends up in a huge fight and then Stefan has to get involved. And you can believe me when I tell you that he is very scary when he gets mad."

Kate nodded. "Yeah, it can get pretty bad," she looked at the clock. "You should get going. It's almost time for your shift."

He nodded, heading out of the room and to the back stage. Garrett greeted him, giving him a wave and a crocked grin. Emmett cheerfully walked up to him, starting a conversation on hunting bears. Vladimir knew nothing about hunting bears, so it was very uninteresting, but Emmett was a very nice young man. He ignored James and Riley, noting that the two of them glowered at each other the whole time.

"They're both having an affair with Victoria," Garrett whispered to him. "And they're both very upset about it."

"Then why don't they leave her?" Vladimir hissed back. "It's not difficult to understand."

"Because," Emmett grinned, nudging him. "They both are smitten with her. Though why, I have no idea."

The lights dimmed down and they headed onto the stage. Vladimir strutted slowly towards a group of young women, grinding his hips slowly in front of them. Riley was not far from him, and he noticed the man give him an annoyed look. Vladimir smirked. It looked like someone was jealous that everyone wanted him, and not Riley.

He dipped in to a low squatting thrust, hearing the money pile onto the stage. He even felt one woman put some money in his shorts while he grinded shamelessly in front of her. Two songs went by, and a thin line of sweat shone on his body. He looked up at the lights, and almost stopped dancing when he noticed Stefan standing in the balcony.

His eyes were right on Vladimir's.

Vladimir ignored him, dancing to Florida's song "Right round," and dancing till the women were practically drooling on the stage. He palmed himself, swinging his hips slowly. More people were crowding around his side of the stage, throwing more money one as he danced.

When his first dance shift was over, he grabbed the money and headed over to his locker in the dressing room, putting his money in his wallet.

"You're certainly popular with the crowd."

He turned around sharply to see Stefan leaning against the wall nonchalantly. A smirk similar to his own was placed on his lips, making his brown eyes look cold. "You're even more popular than the other guys."

He shut his locker, facing Stefan fully. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Stefan shook his head. "No, but as I said before, I may promote you to doing doubles," he looked around the dressing room disdainfully. "That is, if people don't get bored of you by the end of the month."

Vladimir leaned against the locker. "And do people get bored of strippers that easily?"

Stefan shrugged. "New ones are always a crowd pleaser, but eventually, they get used to seeing them," he smiled lightly. "Now, there has only been one person that I know of that has never failed to please the crowd."

"And who is that?"

The grin on his face seemed to grow. "I can't give that away, confidentiality reasons you see," he gave a light sigh. "I'm sure you'll meet her soon. I believe she came back today."

"Oh. Well, what does that have to do with me?"

"Nothing, I just thought I'd mention it."

Vladimir sighed. "Well, if that's all," he turned to leave, heading to wherever he could go to escape the noise for a while. "I need some air."

Stefan's hand grabbed his shoulder before he could leave. "You can't leave until I say so," Stefan shook his head slightly at him. "It's very disrespectful to your boss if you do."

Vladimir sighed. "Is there something else you needed to tell me?"

Stefan nodded. "I want you to be careful out there when you leave for home later on."

Vladimir almost did a double take. Since when did this man care about his wellbeing? He barely even knew him. They'd only known each other for a month. "Why?" he asked, almost a little defensively. "Why would I need to be careful?"

Stefan glanced at the door. "One of my employees hasn't shown up for work in four days. I'm tempted to fire him, but I want to know why first. I have my reasons."

Vladimir glared at him. "So then why would I need to be careful?"

Stefan glanced at him. "I have my reasons. Just be careful."

"You're not very helpful, you know."

"So I've been told."

Vladimir shook his head, grabbing his coat and buttoning it all the way as he headed out of the building. He stood against the alley way wall, breathing in the smell of the city. He wondered slightly if he could sneak back home and check on his daughter, but decided against it. He didn't want someone to follow him home.

"Hey you!"

He turned to see Riley heading towards him, a scowl on his face. He faced Riley, looking up at him coolly. "Is there something you need?"

Riley glared at him. "What the fuck is your problem, man? You're stealing all the people that come to watch us!"

Vladimir raised his eyes. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I will totally ignore the fact that some of us need to eat too."

Riley's fist was clenched at his side. "You're a piece of shit, you know that? Stop stealing all of the people!"

Vladimir stared at him for a long time. He narrowed his eyes, looking at him even deeper. "Are you drunk?"

Riley stumbled, leaning on to the wall. "No," he slurred. "No 'm not!"

Vladimir shook his head. "Yes you are. Have fun explaining that to Alexandrescu when you miss your shift."

Riley gave a drunken protest before walking back into the building, Vladimir following closely behind. The rest of his work shift went by slowly. He danced every hour until four, when he finally put his real clothes back on and walking down the club hallway. There weren't as many people there now, but as he walked down the hall, he heard something

He stopped, looking through a cracked door to see a woman walking around the room, carrying a whip. She cracked it, the sound echoing through the room. "Have you been wicked, your highness?"

"Yes," a voice giggled.

"Good."

Vladimir turned away, continuing to walk down the hall until he reached the door. He had no idea who the woman with the whip was, and he had no intention of finding out. He walked home quickly, his limbs feeling dead tired as he opened the door.

He checked on Cecilia, her small formed curled under the blanket as she slept soundly. He patted her head gently. He stripped into the some boxers and plain black t-shirt. He slept for what seemed the longest time.

But he didn't dream. He usually never did.

* * *

Review please! I promise there will be more smutty stuff later on! Can't have every chapter being smutty, you know. Well, maybe you could, but then it might get repetitive. Song was We are by Ana Johnson. I don't own that or the song Right round by Florida ft. Ke$ha. And using the translator again, Bunica is the Romanian word for grandma. Or so the translator says. I could be wrong, so if I am, please correct me.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's note: **__Thanks for the lovely reviews! Vladimir's mama does approve! I'm very pleased to hear that, is anyone else ;) Stefan the bunny approves as well. And so does Stefan the hit man_

_**Warnings:**__ Character death! We finally come to the plot of the story!_

_**Disclaimer: **__Twilight belongs to Smyer. If I owned it, Bella and Edward would be written differently to be more enjoyable characters. Also, there might be mermaids._

_What about the world today?_

_What about the place that we call home?_

_We've never been so many,_

_And we've never been so alone_

_**(Vladimir's pov)**_

"Come on Cecilia, it's time to get up."

He watched as her eyes blinked open, slowly at first before they began to rapidly blink. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She gave a big yawn, stretching her small arms before looking up at Vladimir. "Good morning Daddy," she greeted slowly.

"Good morning," he replied quickly, ruffling her hair before leaving the room as she pulled an outfit out. He looked through the cabinets for cereal, frowning as they only had raisin bran. He inwardly blanched. He hated that kind of cereal more than anything.

Cecilia walked into the kitchen, continuing to rub sleep from her eyes. She sat at the table, waiting for her cereal. "You look tired, Daddy," she commented. "Did you not get enough sleep?"

He shook his head, placing her cereal in front of her. "Daddy is a little sleep deprived, but I'll get more sleep later."

She chewed the food slowly, slurping the milk from the bowl. "Daddy?" she began again, looking at him. "Why do you work so late? Most parents work in the morning. At least, the ones in my class do."

He sighed. "My job starts late because all the day positions were taken. There is such a thing as night jobs."

That seemed to satisfy her question, for she finished her cereal and placed it in the sink before scampering off to the bathroom. He watched her from the open door as she did her hair, putting it in a ponytail. Curls continued to fall from it though and he knew it wouldn't last for long.

"Ready to go?" he asked as she put her socks and shoes on. He fastened the tiny buttons on her coat as she answered him.

"Yup," she smiled brightly at him, but then it fell as she remembered something. "Oh no! I left Stefan in my room!"

She dashed off to get her beloved rabbit, hurrying back with a relieved expression. They headed out of the apartment, bracing the chilly March air as they walked along. She skipped as she held his hand, surprisingly cheerful this morning. He stopped outside of the preschool building, kneeling down to her level.

"You be a good girl today, alright?" he told her, giving her a stern expression. "Play nice with the other kids."

She grinned, and he let a soft smile break out. "Daddy," she giggled. "I always play nice with the other kids."

She let go of his hand, running up the steps as she spotted her friends. "Bye Daddy!" she called out, looking over her shoulder.

He waved towards, watching as she disappeared inside. He sighed, heading back home. He shrugged his coat off and immediately headed back to his room, conking out on his bed to get more sleep before class started later that day.

He woke about around twelve, feeling much more awake and hopped into the shower. The warm water felt good on his skin, as did the soap. He stood in the shower for several minutes before hopping out. He was glad he didn't look like a prune, but he wouldn't care if he did.

He fixed himself a sandwich as he walked out of the building to where his class was. He sat silently as the teacher lectured about business finances and the economy while he took notes. He did it for three hours, never once looking up from the teacher. He was stiff by the time class was done, stretching as he got up.

He walked over to Cecilia's preschool, seeing her playing on the playground with the other kids. She spotted him only a few seconds later, rushing over to him with some sort of paper in her hand. She hugged him tightly, as if the world was ending and this would be the last time she saw him.

"Hello Daddy!" she greeted warmly. "I made something for you!"

He looked down at the paper she was hiding behind her back. "And what would that be?" he asked, knowing full well what it was, but he humored her for her sake. She held the paper towards him, and from what he could see, was a picture him, his Mother, Cecilia, and a random white bunny.

"Is the bunny supposed to be Stefan?" he asked cautiously, not wanting for her to think he was stupid. She nodded.

"Yup. It's you, me, Bunica, and Stefan."

He smiled in spite of himself. "It's a wonderful picture, Cecilia."

She beamed, taking him by the hand as he held her picture. The wind blew around them sharply, blowing their coats, hair, and papers around. Vladimir clutched onto her hand tightly when a huge gust of wind nearly blew them away.

"Doamne," he grumbled. "I do believe that's a rain wind blowing in."

Cecilia looked at him hopefully. "Does that mean it's going to rain?"

"I hope so."

She made a face at that. "I hope it doesn't storm," she clutched onto Stefan tightly. "I hate storms. They're too noisy."

He shook his head slightly. "But we need rain for lots of things. It's not like we can live without it."

She seemed to be thinking about that for a while, her face held a pondering look as they walked to their home. Cars rushed by them, blowing snow at their heels. They hurried into their apartment, discarding their coats and shoes the minute they walked in. Cecilia took the picture from his hands, taking a magnet from the fridge and sticking it to the picture.

"There," she announced in a pleased tone. "It's all set."

He smiled slightly, sitting down at the kitchen table and overlooking his notes. She peered over at them, though he knew she would not understand a word of it. Eventually she gave up on trying to understand his notes and ventured off into her room, playing quietly until he put his notes away to start dinner.

It was a simple dinner that night, a simple dinner of macaroni and cheese. He noted on how quiet she was, which was unusual for her. "How was school?" he asked, hoping that maybe she would slip up and tell him why she was quiet. "Did you have a good time?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah, except Mrs. Brown would let me finger paint or play with any of the easels today."

"Why wouldn't she let you? I believe you have the right to play with whatever you want in the class, aren't you?"

She shrugged, playing with the noodles in her bowl. "I don't know," she started. "I think it went something along the lines of I needed to let other kids have a turn."

He snorted at that, which didn't go unnoticed by her. She looked at him curiously. "Why did you snort, Daddy? What's so funny?"

He shook his head. "Your teacher just amazes me sometimes with how dimwitted she is. If someone wanted to paint, then they should speak up. I don't see why you had to give up what you were doing for someone else's amusement."

Cecilia just shrugged again. "At least they let me color and draw. They can't take that away, can they?"

"For your sake, I hope not."

He stood up, putting more macaroni in his bowl and chewing it. Cecilia finished hers, placing her bowl in the sink. They watched TV in the living room for an hour, Cecilia wedged in the crook of his arm and watching the show they were watching with half interested eyes.

"Daddy, it's almost nine fifteen. You should get going for work."

He looked at her sleepy form, her gray eyes fighting hard to stay awake. He helped her up, leading her to her room. He tucked her under the covers, brushing her hair softly as he bid her good bye. He noted how she clutched Stefan tightly, the rabbit's head peeking out from the covers. He sighed, turning out the light.

The night seemed warmer now, a warm wind blowing through the down town area. He knew it wouldn't last long, warm weather came and went, but it was better than being cold. He walked along the side walk, his steps slowing as he did. He had never liked this part of town. It brought back too many memories that he would rather forget at the moment.

He sighed, pushing forward to where his job was awaiting him. A boom box blared throughout the building, almost hurting his ears. He walked inside, seeing Tanya, Victoria, and two other women on the stage dancing lewdly in front of people. He noticed Tanya eye him as he walked in, and he knew that she was greeting him. He headed back stage, quickly putting on the flimsy shorts he wore every night.

"Hey," he heard Kate's voice call out. "Stefan wants to speak with you."

"About what?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

Vladimir sighed, heading out the door and up the stairs to Stefan's office. He opened the door, seeing Stefan sitting in his office chair with his feet propped up on the desk. Stefan's eyes didn't look at him when he walked in, but he nodded as if he were acknowledging his presence.

Vladimir stood straight, his arms crossed behind his back. "Did you need me for something?"

Stefan's eyes lit up, but before he could answer, the door opened. A woman walked in, wearing practically nothing but a lace corset that didn't cover up much of her lower region. Vladimir looked away from her politely, not being one to look at people in certain places.

"Stefan," the woman began. "One of my customers jipped me a minute ago. You need to take care of them before they leave."

Stefan nodded before turning back to Vladimir. "Oh, Vladimir, this is Maria. Maria, this is one of my newer employees, Vladimir."

Maria turned to him, towering several inches higher than him. Her dark brown eyes glanced over him. He didn't like her eyes. They looked like she was analyzing him, analyzing which way was the best way to take him down in a fight.

"Nice ass," she commented. "I could get used to seeing that."

She walked out of the room before Stefan or Vladimir could even say anything. Stefan sighed. "That's the woman I told you about earlier, Maria. She's the only one here who does any solo dancing."

"Is she that good?"

"Yes."

Vladimir continued to stand there. "So, what did you want me for? I have to go on stage in fifteen minutes."

Stefan didn't move from his position. "It's the middle of March, and so far, I've been impressed with your dancing. I think it's time you start doubles."

Vladimir was now interested. "Doubles?" he asked, stepping forward a bit. "When can I start?"

Stefan smirked. "Eager much?" he leaned back a bit farther. "I don't know when, probably next week. You have to find a partner first, and most of ours are taken."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

Stefan leaned forward more. "Well, I'll have to see who I can knock down a few pegs. Victoria is really starting to irritate me, so I might cut her back down to the groups. She really hates Maria, you know."

Vladimir rolled his eyes in spite of himself. "No, I didn't know."

Stefan narrowed his eyes. "No need to be sarcastic," he swiveled around in his chair twice. "Maybe I'll give this position to someone else."

"No," Vladimir gritted through tightly clenched teeth. "I'm sorry; please don't give the position to someone else."

Stefan smirked. "I was just teasing. I wasn't really going to take the position away from you," he leaned back again. "But I have to find a partner with you. As for now, get back stage."

Vladimir closed the door behind him as he headed back stage. None of the other guys spoke with him, which he didn't really mind. He headed on stage when it was their turn. He didn't earn as much as he would have liked; his mind was focused on other things, but he danced none the less.

"Something on your mind?" Tanya asked later on, sitting next to him. "You seem preoccupied."

"How can you tell?"

She shrugged. "I can just tell these things. I read people very well."

Vladimir smirked. "Then you should be a psychiatrist."

She let out a bitter laugh, drawing her knees into her chest. "As if, I could be one if I wanted to be, but, as you have heard many times before, life just gets in the way sometimes."

"That saying has been used a lot. I'm beginning to wonder if it's actually true," he mused, taking a sip of water he had gotten from the bar. "You could be psychiatrist, you're still quite young."

She laughed, though it was not bitter this time. "I don't know, I kind of like working here," she ignored the expression on his face. "Don't give me that look, it's not like I'm whoring myself out. I just love to dance."

"You could have been a ballerina."

She shook her head. "No, I wasn't cut out for that. Irina, perhaps, but not me. I loved jazz and hip hop, but finding a career in that is difficult."

He shook his head. "I wouldn't know, I never wanted to be a dancer."

She stared at him. "Then why would you be working in a strip club? Not to be insulting, you're very good at what you do, but why here? Besides the money, I mean."

He sighed. "I can dance a little. I'm not talented enough to be a professional, but I'm okay. Alexandrescu thinks so as well. He's going to have me take doubles soon."

Tanya grinned. "Well that should be fun. I do doubles, but my partner is getting kind of boring. She just wants to do the same routine over and over again. She's very nice, I don't mean to disrespect her, but I need to make money."

He leaned against the wall, inhaling some of the city air. "So what exactly do you want to do with your life? You can't work here forever. No one wants to see a fifty year old lady on a pole. At least, I hope not."

Tanya smacked him. "I have a job somewhere else, mind you," she grinned as she said that. "It pays well and I'm satisfied, but this is more like a hobby."

Vladimir's smirk grew. "Stripping as a hobby? That's a first."

"Shut up!"

"No."

She laughed. "Well, I have other dreams as well," she continued on. "I want a couple of kids."

Vladimir sighed, instantly thinking of Cecilia. "I don't know about that, they can be a handful," he paused, feeling as if he should say something why he would know, but decided against it. "They make messes."

Tanya shrugged. "So do adults."

"That's true, but raising a kid is hard."

Tanya titled her head at him. "And how would you know? I mean, it is obvious that raising a kid is hard, but you speak as if you know how hard it is," she grinned. "Don't tell me you're hiding a kid inside your house?"

Vladimir laughed, shoving his nervousness down. "No, I just have seen people over the years. I don't have any kids," he wondered how Cecilia would feel if she'd heard that, but shrugged it off. "Besides, I don't want kids."

Tanya sighed, standing up and brushing the dirt off her outfit. "Well, I'm heading back in. My next shift should be starting soon."

"See ya," Vladimir called out, taking another sip of water. He continued to sit against the wall, sipping his water. He continued to sit there; drinking his water and watching the cars drive up and down the roads, not even noticing he was there.

He sat there and brooded to himself. The thoughts of his mother, daughter, and school rushed through his mind. The water in his hand seemed to be growing warmer as he continued to sit in the cold night. He set the bottle down, the cool ground wet with rain. He brought the hand to his face, running it through.

He instantly dropped it when it smelled funny. Vladimir sniffed it. It smelled coopery, metallic. Water wasn't supposed to smell that way. He brought his cell phone out, shinning the light down on the water. He noticed it looked dark against the ground, but a trail of it ended towards the end of the alley.

He followed it, his footsteps slow and almost silent. The trail seemed to lead to the back of the alley way, which was completely dark. He stopped walking, feeling something press against his foot. He looked down, and instantly froze.

Standing right in his view, was the body of a young woman.

* * *

Review please! Song was We are by Ana Johnson. It was in one of the Spiderman movies I believe


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's note: **__Thank you for all the reviews my lovely fellow authors/readers. Your reviews are what keep me going, and I apologize for the long wait. I don't know when Soul for sale will be updated (I'm going through some writer's block :/) but I will update it sometime_

_**Warnings: **None_

_**Disclaimer: **__I own nothing! Except Cecilia and her rabbit Stefan. No! None of you can have him! He's mine! *shifty eyes* except I may let you hold him for a few seconds_

_You keep watching from your picket fence,_

_You keep talking but it makes no sense,_

_You say we're not responsible, _

_Bu we are, we are_

_**(Vladimir's pov)**_

"Now, are you sure you didn't see anything? Or anyone that might have looked suspicious?"

Vladimir shook his head, fingers tightening around the blanket on his shoulders. "It's like I said, I smelt blood on my fingers from the dripping water, and then I found her body. I don't know her; I started working here not too long ago."

The officer nodded, writing something down on his notepad. "We'll ask more questions later. Thank you for your time, sir."

Vladimir didn't reply, or even nod in acknowledgement. He just stared at the woman's body, watching as the officers placed her body in a body bag before carrying her into the back of their van. He looked up only when he felt a hand press his shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Stefan began, not meeting his eyes. "I'm very sorry that you had to get involved in this."

Vladimir glared at him. "Involved in what?"

"I'll tell you in my office."

He motioned for Vladimir to follow him, walking inside with his back squared. Vladimir followed, the image of the woman's body still flickering in his mind. "Who was she?" he asked once he closed the door to Stefan's office. "Did she work here?"

"Yes," Stefan sighed, plopping down in his chair. "Her name was Mary Elizabeth Danielson. She was nineteen, and she started working here only a year ago."

Vladimir shook his head. "It's unfortunate, that's for sure," he glanced around the room. "So, how did I get involved in this 'situation'?"

Stefan glared at him, shutting his laptop. "Have you ever been to a strip club here in Seattle ran by a family called the Volturi?"

"The who?"

Stefan rolled his eyes. "I'll take that as a no," he leaned back in his chair. "The Volturi is a family, no, a criminal organization that has been targeting my strip club for over two years now. This is the first time they've murdered one of my employees, but they've been stealing my customers as well. Offering them drugs, money, anything they want."

Vladimir stepped forward. "So, how is this going to concern me? Are they going to kill me?"

Stefan shook his head. "I don't think they'll be killing anyone for a while. They're probably going to keep a low profile before striking again. The police would do something about it, but Aro has them under his thumb. Some of his employees are the police."

Vladimir tilted his head. "Aro?"

"He's the leader, well, one of them. There are two others, but Aro is the one who mainly calls the shots."

"Well," Vladimir began after a short pause. "I certainly did not sign up for this."

"Are you quitting?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't quite. Not now, not ever. I just didn't expect to have a job where I am risking my life."

Stefan smirked. "I'm sure they won't kill you yet, they probably don't even know you exist."

"For now."

"Yes, for now," he reopened his laptop, looking at something on it. "I give you permission to leave early. I' sure you want to go home and…brood over a few things. I expect you to be back by tomorrow."

Vladimir nodded, feeling a bit relieved. He stalked out of the room, grabbing his coat from the locker room without so much as a glance from the others. He tightened the collar of his coat against him as he braced the late night wind, walking slowly as he headed towards his apartment.

He opened the door to his apartment, the entire complex completely quiet. He leaned his back against the all, holding his head in his hands. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't something normal happen to him for once? Out of all the places he had to work, a murder had to take place. Someone up there was punishing him. And probably laughing about it the whole time.

Yet, something was bothering him. Like a tickle in the back of his brain. The last name, the Volturi, sounded familiar, but he couldn't be sure. He headed into his file cabinet, pulling out a manila folder that had records, receipts, and birth certificates. He pulled out Cecilia's looking at the name of the parents. There was his name, and the name of a woman named Didyme Giordano.

He put the document down, shaking his head. There was no reason at all that the name should be in his head. He had never met a member of the Volturi in his life. Not ever.

Yet, why did it sound familiar?

He let out a loud sigh and shut the drawer. He was only twenty four and already, he felt as if he were getting older. He was in shape, muscular, but not too muscular, but still. He felt as if he were in his mid-forties rather than mid-twenties. He wondered if he was going through the so called midlife crisis. Wouldn't his father have laughed at him if he saw him now?

He trudged all the way to his room, flopping down onto his bed and closed his eyes. Thunder rumbled outside, giving quick flashes of lightening. He blinked. He had almost forgotten that there had been a thunderstorm earlier. That was not a good sign.

Something stirred next to him, causing him to tense up until a little bunny poked out from under the covers. He sighed again as he looked under them to see Cecilia looking at him with teary eyes. "I don't like thunder storms," she began. "They're scary."

"So you think you can crawl into my bed?"

He was only half serious when he said that, and he knew that she knew that as well, for she cuddled next to him with her beloved rabbit. "I don't like your job," she whispered. "I don't like being alone at night with only Stefan."

That one sentence made him feel like the worst father of the year. "It's only for a little while," he told her gently. "Until I get a few things situated."

"When will that be?"

"Soon."

She gave him a scathing look. "That doesn't explain much, Daddy," she hid back under the covers as the thunder rumbled again. Her gray eyes peeked out from underneath. "I hate storms."

He patted her head gently. "The storm can't hurt you, Cecilia," he sighed. "Now, I don't know how long things will take, but you're just going to have to be patient. Can you do that for Daddy?"

She paused, looking at Stefan. "I guess so," she whispered as the thunder rumbled again. "Daddy, if you're gone a lot now, who's going to keep me safe at night?"

"The neighbors, I suppose."

She looked at the bunny. "Will Stefan keep me safe?"

He wanted to reply to that by saying it was just a rabbit, but something stopped him. He just nodded, stroking her hair. "Yes, Stefan will protect you."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She curled up into his side, nesting her head under his chin as if she were a small baby. Her breathing shallowed as her body retreated into a deep sleep. He allowed a small smile to form on his face as sleep over came him as well.

"Daddy! Daddy! Get up! It's time for school!"

He groaned, rubbing his eyes as Cecilia continued to jump on his bed. "Preschool starts in forty five minutes!" she chirped. "I don't want to be late!"

He immediately got up, throwing on some clothes (and kicking her out of the room) and immediately ushered her out the door with her beloved rabbit. She waved at him from the top of the steps, a cheerful grin on her face.

He waved back, a small smile on his own face.

"So, you didn't tell me you had a kid."

* * *

Yes yes, it is short, but pleas review anyway. Song was We are by Ana Johnson


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's note: **__Thanks for the reviews guys! My birthday was two days ago, so I'm now seventeen. Just one more year until high school is over, but junior year just started :/ Anyways, I hope you all like this chapter!_

_**Warnings: **__More stripping_

_**Disclaimer: **__*Lifts paper* I do not own Twilight. I only own Cecilia and the rabbit who just so happens to be named Stefan and is in no way associated with the actual character, though I don't think Smyer would care since she only wrote one book that had them in it._

_One step forward makin two steps back,_

_My oh my,_

_Riding piggy on the bad boys back for life_

_**(Vladimir's pov)**_

"So, you didn't tell me you had a kid."

Vladimir froze, the ice cold wind blowing on the back of his neck as his pale blond hair blew in his face. He turned around slowly, his face stoic as he met the aqua colored eyes of Kate Denali. They stared at each other for a long time, standing there as people walked and ran past them, waiting for the other to say something.

"Yes," Vladimir concluded with a simple word. "I have a daughter."

Kate kicked a rock with her shoe, the small rock bouncing off into the street. "You said you didn't have a kid. Why did you lie?"

"I could have been fired. Why would I tell you the truth?"

She merely shrugged. "I wouldn't have ratted you out, I'm a bitch, but not a huge bitch," she motioned towards the coffee shop next to them. "Want to chat more inside?"

He nodded, following her inside and sitting down at one of the empty tables. Kate moved a strand of her hair back, her hands folded simply in front of her as they waited for their waiter. Vladimir let out a sigh as he eyed the school. He wanted to run. Grab Cecilia and his mother and just run. He didn't care where, but he just wanted to leave.

"What's her name?"

He jumped slightly at the tone of Kate's voice. She looked rather interested in his reply, a smile on her face. He looked down at his hands briefly. "Cecilia," he answered. "Her name is Cecilia."

"Cute name. And you raised her all by yourself?"

He shook his head. "My mother did most of that, I had school work to do," he cleared his throat. "But yes, I would spend late hours with her when she cried so my mother could rest."

Kate nodded. "Where's the mother?"

"She's dead."

The smile from Kate's face fell. "I'm sorry," she admitted softly. "That must have been difficult. To lose someone you love, it's something you never move on from."

The waiter came over to them before he could reply to her previous statement. He ordered his usual caramel macchiato and returned to her with a blank face. "I didn't know she was pregnant until Cecilia was born," he gave a deep sigh. "Anyway, it's not that big of a deal. I just don't want Stefan to find out."

Kate tilted her head a bit. "I'm not going to tell him, but," she traced a ring on her finger. "I would be a little more careful. James and Victoria will not hesitate to rat you out. Even Riley wouldn't. He hates your guts, you know."

He smirked. "I can't say I'm very fond of him either."

The waiter came back with their drinks, placing the mugs in front of them. Vladimir took a long sip of his, the hot, bitter liquid lightly burning his tongue and throat, but in a good way. Kate blew on hers a bit before drinking, taking small sips. "I'd like to meet her," she started again.

Vladimir just raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I want to meet her."

He was speechless for a few seconds, his eyes blinking slowly as he tried to comprehend what she had just said. "You want to meet my daughter?" he asked slowly. "May I ask why?"

Kate just grinned. "I love children, and from what I could see, she's cute."

"…You're not a pedophile, are you?"

He received a harsh kick from under the table, wincing as she glared at him. "Of course I'm not a pedophile! I'm secretly going out with Garrett!" a smirk lit her face. "How about we make a deal?"

"I'm listening."

Kate took another sip of coffee. "I won't tell Stefan, or anyone else about your daughter, as long as you keep my relationship with Garrett a secret. James found out by accident, but I don't want to risk my job. Can you do that?"

Vladimir nodded. "I won't tell anyone about you and Garrett. I don't break promises. Well, most of the time."

"Alright, then it's settled."

Vladimir nodded. "It's settled."

They drank their remaining coffee quietly, listening to the hum of the people and machines around them. He walked with Kate out of the coffee shop, the two of them standing in front of the Seattle library. They walked inside, chatting a little as Vladimir finished up most of his homework for the next day; Kate sitting beside him and reading something on the Ancient Slavic tribes.

At three, he left the library with Kate at his side. He stood in front of the large preschool, watching as the children ran out with papers and other things in their hands, running towards their mothers and fathers. Cecilia came running out, Stefan in her hand, and ran towards him, hugging his waist tightly.

"Daddy!"

He patted her head gently, watching her as she looked over to Kate shyly. "Who's this, Daddy?" she asked slowly. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Kate snickered and shook her head, giving Cecilia a smile. "No, sweetie," she started. "I'm your Daddy's friend. My name is Kate."

Cecilia smiled. "I'm Cecilia," she held up her rabbit. "And this is Stefan."

He nudged a rock with his foot as Kate glanced at him. He just shook his head, taking Cecilia by the hand as they began to walk away. "She named the rabbit Stefan, although I don't know why," he said to Kate quickly. "It's been that name for about a month now."

"I see," was all Kate said. "Well, I find the name a bit…ironic. Wouldn't you agree?"

"You have no idea."

Cecilia stared up at him. "What's ironic mean, Daddy? You don't like Stefan?"

He sighed. "Of course I like Stefan, Cecilia," he held her hand even tighter as they crossed the street. "I just know someone named Stefan?"

"Who?"

"My boss."

Cecilia just smiled at her rabbit. "He must be a nice guy," she said brightly. "He must be nice, or else Daddy wouldn't work wherever he works."

He felt Kate nudge him in the rib, a stern look on her face. He led the two of them into his apartment, Cecilia shrugging off her coat and running into her room with Stefan clenched into her hand. Kate leaned against the wall. "Does she know where you work?"

He shook his head. "No, all she knows is that I work in some business at night," he snorted. "Like I'd tell her I work in a strip club."

Kate tisked. "And who takes care of her when you leave? She is asleep at that time, isn't she?"

He nodded. "I put her to bed before I leave, but," he looked at the hallway where they could hear her voice. "Sometimes she wakes up when I come back."

"She does?"

"Yes. Either she gets scared of a storm or she just isn't tired anymore."

Kate frowned. "She's five years old and she spends the night all by herself? That doesn't sound right, Vladimir," she sat down in a chair. "She's just a little girl."

"You think I don't know that?" he snapped. "You think I wanted to be a striper and leave my daughter all alone in the house?"

Kate narrowed her eyes, but it softened when she shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to insult you like that. I just don't like it when little children are left all alone."

Vladimir just shook his head. "She doesn't seem too upset by it, but," he sighed. "It worries me a little."

Kate glanced at her watch. "I better get going," she stood up, patting his shoulder. "I will see you tonight, right?"

"I'll be there."

She smiled and headed out the door. Vladimir ran a hand through his hair and walked into his daughter's room. She was sitting in front of her bed, a bucket in front of her full of doll clothes and was dressing Stefan in different clothes. She noticed him watching her and smiled, holding up two dresses.

"Which one should Stefan wear? The purple dress or the blue dress?"

He smiled at her. "But isn't Stefan a boy?" he asked. "I don't know if he would want to wear a dress."

She pouted. "But I want him to look pretty!"

"He's pretty without a dress."

She shook her head and continued to hold the dresses. "The blue one or the purple one?" she asked, her eyes demanding an answer.

Vladimir sighed. "I think the blue one would look good on him."

She beamed, fitting the dress through the bunny's arms and legs. He sat cross legged on the floor as she continued to play. She hummed a little song, making him hold Stefan for a few minutes as she wandered around her room to find some random objects she needed for whatever she was doing. She played quietly for a few minutes before looking back to him.

"Daddy?" she began suddenly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?"

She pulled Stefan from his lap and stared up at him. "Where is Mommy?"

He looked at her, not really wanting to answer her question. It was a topic even he wasn't very comfortable with. "She's very far away," he answered. "She can't be with us right now, but she loves you very much."

She crawled into his lap, looking at her rabbit. "What was she like?"

"She was very kind, and she liked to smile a lot," he looked down at her with a reassuring smile. "Wherever she went, she was happy. She always knew how to make people smile and laugh. She loved you very much."

Cecilia just poked his shoulder. "Why can't she come visit me? Couldn't she drive over and come visit?"

He gave a humorless laugh and pulled her closer to him. "She can't do that, but I'm sure she would like to see you. You look just like her."

"I do?"

"Yes. You have her hair. It was just as dark and curly as yours. You have her skin tone, her nose, and her smile."

She poked her nose, a frown on her face. "But I have your eyes, don't I?" she asked. "Or are they Bunica's?"

He poked her nose. "You have both. You have my eyes, and I have my mother's. That just makes you just as special."

She beamed and got out of his laugh and out of the room. She came back with a photo album and plopped it in his lap. She flipped through pages until she found one with a young woman. "Is this Mommy?"

He looked at the picture, his fingers lightly tracing the photo. The woman in the picture was smiling, holding his hand as they stood in front of a balcony. "Yes," he answered slowly. "That is your mother."

She nodded and took the photo album from him as he stood up and went to go fix dinner. They ate their dinner in silence as Cecilia hummed another tune at the table. When he tucked her in that night, she reached up and hugged him tightly. "You'll be back, right?" she asked. "Do I have to be asleep?"

He kissed her head. "Yes, you have to be asleep," he answered. "But you will see me in the morning."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She smiled and snuggled down in her bed with closed eyes. He grabbed his coat as he headed out the door of his apartment and into the cold March air. The club was booming music loudly as he walked in, the dancers on the stage not even paying attention as he walked in.

"Hey!"

He turned to see Kate running towards him in the locker room, her high heeled shoes clacking on the floor as she ran. "There's been a schedule change. Irina went home sick and we need you to fill in. Can you do that?"

He nodded, pulling off his clothes and pants to reveal the ridiculous shorts. He put on a little make up with Kate's assistance and headed backstage where Alice, Victoria, and Tanya were. He didn't have any time to greet them, for the bouncers ushered them onto the stage.

_Girl I gotta know, how you dance like that, dance like that, you dance like that,_

He started with a slow circular hip motion, running his hands down his chest as the lights beamed harshly down on his back, making his skin gleam harshly. He noticed Tanya on the stage nearby dancing without her shirt on. He had to admit, she was good.

_Cause you're putting on a show, can I take you back? Take you back, take you back?_

His nipples were getting harder, which seemed to please the group that had lingered over to watch him. It seemed like there was a bachelorette party tonight, for the girls that had gathered around looked horny. He ran his hands down his thighs, showing the ladies his ass as he ran a hand over it.

_I just gotta ask you to show me yours; I'll show you mine, don't you worry you're too fine,_

The women giggled, tossing the money on the stage. He went into a low thrust, making them give out cat calls.

_We got one thing on our minds, and we got plenty of time,_

He lifted his eyes to the top of the balcony, his heart skipping a beat. Stefan was leaning against the rail, watching him with interested eyes. Vladimir almost grinned. For some reason, Stefan watching him kind of made him to…do even better.

_Girl I gotta go, I'm finished with the show, if you wanna f*** me I won't say no,_

He never let go of Stefan's eyes, and Stefan never let go of his. Vladimir started a slow grind to impress his boss, almost forgetting about the ladies in front of him. They swooned, not looking at all bored.

_Touchin' on mine, while I'm touchin on your, because we are gonna, Cause I don't give a f***_

Stefan gave him a smirk before turning away and moving back inside his office. Vladimir returned his attention to the ladies, dancing his heart out on the stage. He danced through five more songs until heading backstage, almost bumping into Riley.

"Boss wants you," he said sourly. "Better go see what he wants."

Vladimir headed up the stairs, opening the door to Stefan's office with a bored look. "You wanted me?" he asked.

Stefan looked up from his coffee. "Oh, yes," he set the cup down and headed over to him. "I found a partner for you."

"Who?"

He smirked at him. "Maria. She volunteered. Apparently, she likes you."

Vladimir just blinked. "Oh, she does, does she?" he crossed his arms across his chest. "I haven't' seen her lately."

"She's sick today. It seems like flu is going around."

Vladimir frowned at that. If flu was going around, then that wasn't good. Especially if he got sick. Stefan walked over to him, looking at his shorts. "Those shorts look good on you," the dark haired male commented. "And your dancing is good too."

Vladimir raised an eyebrow. "It is?"

Stefan nodded, fingering the drawstrings. His fingers were hovering dangerously over his penis, which was almost starting to get an erection at the mere thought of it. Stefan grinned and pulled back, the smile on his face looking as if he found something truly funny.

"It looked like you were putting on a show for me back there," he laughed. "I liked it."

Vladimir blushed. "It wasn't for you, it was for the ladies in front of me."

"Oh yes, I'm sure."

Vladimir just snorted. "Anyway, is that all you needed?"

Stefan shook his head. "I also wanted to know how you felt about the events last night. I know it's not every day you see a dead body."

Vladimir nodded. "I've seen my father buried, and my mother will be buried soon," he frowned at the carpet. "It's not like we aren't going to end up dead."

"Well, that's a morbid way of thinking," Stefan commented. "But I see your point."

"Do you?"

His boss' brown eyes glinted dangerously. "Do you take me for a fool, Vladimir? Because I assure you, I'm not someone you want to mess with."

Vladimir just smirked. "I think I can handle you."

"For your sake, I hope you can."

* * *

Review please! Song was We are by Ana Johnson and the song in the middle was Toucning on my by 3oh!3


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